Thursday, 21 October 2010

The Sneijder GameWesley Sneijder grew up in Utrecht’s notorious Ondiep. Even when he was at Ajax he stayed up as late as midnight to play on the streetsThey played cage football. A concrete pitch measuring about 10x5m surrounded by meshed metal fencing.

“It made you quick and toughened you up Ajax even encouraged it as it helped with technique and balance."

This game replicates the conditions Sneijder faced, so use a pitch just 10x5m and play 3v3.Use small goals so the players need to use better technique to get closerSo with little space you need to act and think quickly.“At midnight I’d still be on the street playing football. It was crazy there were fights, the police came every day but you had to survive” Wesley Sneijder

The Transition Game

“Everybody says that set plays win most games, but I think it is more about transitions.” Jose MourinhoSet up is as for a normal game.Format 4v4 – 6v6

When a player scores he takes the ball from the goal and attacks the goal his team were defending.This means everything changes and the attackers are in the defenders positions and defenders are in attackers positions.Players have to react quickly and be aware of the change.This highlights the whole transition process and should be like a light switch in players minds – concentration and react immediately.Tip – have plenty of balls in the goal or by the side to allow a quick transition.

The Communication Game

Communication on the football pitch is very important, (as it is in the rest of your life) and it comes in a number of guises – verbal, gestures and body language.Before you play the game, ask your players what they need to tell each other on the football pitch.

Asking – “Pete’s ball”, “Billy wants”.Warnings – “Man on!”Encouragement – “Well done Roger”, “Keep going team”Additional information – “Turn”, “You have time”The gamePlay a normal game and then after a few minutes adapt the game by having no talking or calling at all.You can progress this by making it even more difficult to communicate by not having bibs and banning pointing, nodding etc.Go back to a normal game and at the end ask the players which was easier to play in and why. Also ask if communication skills are important on the football field and in other settings – home, school, friends etc. – and if we can communicate in ways other than verbally.